Yogurt is made by adding a number of types of harmless bacteria to milk, causing it to ferment.…

Method

Heat a large saucepan and dry-fry the cumin seeds and chilli flakes for 1 min, or until they start to jump around the pan and release their aromas. Scoop out about half of the seeds with a spoon and set aside. Add the oil, carrot, lentils, stock and milk to the pan and bring to the boil. Simmer for 15 mins until the lentils have swollen and softened.

Whizz the soup with a stick blender or in a food processor until smooth (or leave it chunky if you prefer). Season to taste and finish with a dollop of yogurt and a sprinkling of the reserved toasted spices. Serve with warmed naan breads.

Tip

If you want to use a slow cooker...

Place half the cumin seeds, half the chilli flakes, the oil, carrots, lentils and 700ml stock into your slow cooker pot. Cover and cook on High for 3 hours until the lentils are tender. Dry-fry the remaining cumin seeds and chilli flakes just until fragrant. When the lentils are done, stir in the milk and whizz up the soup depending on how chunky you'd like it.

Tip

Make it Moroccan

Substitute the chilli flakes and cumin seeds for a few teaspoons of harissa paste. You could add cooked shredded chicken at the end of cooking, too.

Tip

Make it dairy-free

For a richer but dairy-free alternative, use a can of reduced-fat coconut milk instead of the milk.

I am a man who likes when cooking to be unfettered by exactitudes, although sometimes necessary, I know. I liked this recipe as together with the comments from other contributers I felt that you could personalise it in so many ways by different bases, vegetables and "bulking ingredients". Yet to be tasted but cooling in the pan and smells divine!

This is a good recipe but I added some extra things for flavour and nutrition: caraway seeds, dried coriander, garlic, onion, tahini and pumpkin seed butter. The last two items I like to add to all my soups, just a little teaspoon improves texture and boosts the protein content. I left out the milk; it wasn't necessary. I didn't have chilli flakes so used a few dashes of tabasco and lots of black pepper. Definitely tastes better when spicy. Oh and I used a knorr lamb stock cube instead of veg stock. Very yummy!

I make this all the time as it's an easy go-to recipe. I don't measure the cumin seeds and chilli flakes, just chuck a load in. The extra is nice for sprinkling on other meals too. I leave out the milk too as I think it's unnecessary. The soup has a lovely thick and creamy texture because of the lentils and doesn't need milk or substitutes to make it creamier in my opinion. To the people reading the comments about it being bland and needing tweaking, I would disagree. I don't think it's bland at all, and doesn't need anything else. Follow the recipe as it is and you will not be disappointed (don't forget the cumin seeds and chilli flakes!)

So Good! I altered the recipe a little after reading other comments (thank you). I doubled the lentils, added a leek, left out the oil, added 400ml of coconut milk instead of milk (the extra liquid balancing out the extra lentils), and threw in some curry powder, cardamom, and turmeric with the other spices. I only blended half the soup, and it has a great consistency and texture. Definitely a substantial meal.

This is a good basic builder recipe. I had to spice it up quite a bit though for my tastes and added extra chili flakes, garlic, onion (as other reviews mentioned) and extra cumin powder in addition to the seeds. I did add about ¼ tsp. of all spice too. Great basic recipe you can mix and match according to your tastes. I thought the yogurt added a special layer of flavor so for those of you on the fence to try the yogurt or not … I say go for it!

This soup was good. We'll keep the recipe. The shredded carrot seems to give it a "fuller" texture more than if it had just been only chopped carrots in a watery soup. I used a vegetarian stock cube. I didn't have yogurt and I probably didn't have enough cumin but it tasted just fine. I like how easy the recipe is. We ate it with freshly-baked bread. I was surprised when I brought the soup to a boil and it the soup foamed up, slipped out from under the lid, down the sides and onto the stove burner! Next time I might try coconut oil instead of olive oil. Thank you.

600g of carrots, topped and blitzed - tip in to sauce pan.130g of red split lentils - tip in to sauce pan and mix through.1L of vegetable stock from 2 Knorr veg stock cubes (or equiv) - plus 1.5 teaspoons of Schwartz 7 Thai Spice (or equiv) make this up in the food processor to get the last bits of carrot out..! Pour and mix in to sauce pan. Bring to boil, simmer with lid off for 15-20 minutes.No milk, no cumin seeds, no olive oil (calories), no chilli flakes required.Easier, quicker, healthier. 46 cal per 100g. Makes 1.5kg. :-)

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Questions (19)

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